Current authentication techniques for mobile devices raise security concerns or can be costly to implement. For example, key code based authentication techniques are often vulnerable to overseers, and key codes can easily be memorized or ascertained by imposters. More secure authentication techniques, like biometric authentication, often requires the presence of additional sensors which increases the cost to manufacture the device. And while additional sensors may improve the security of the authentication process, they also require additional processing power which drains the device battery.
This document describes novel methods and systems for the secure authentication of a mobile electronic device user using motion and other sensors that are generally present in most mobile devices.